Hakuouki: Shimai
by ReikaFoxGirl
Summary: Chizuru moved her sisters to the small town of Whisper Falls after the brutal murder of their mother, they hid their ability to contact the dead for their protection but use it again when the police, including a handsome detective named Hijikata Toshizo, requests they use their "gift" to help them and they soon learn the town, and their own past, has dark secrets dying to come out.
1. Girl on Fire Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuouki in any shape or form.**

**A/N: I decided to rewrite my **_**Hakuouki: Sisterhood **_**story due to the fact I missed writing it. The changes are: the title, in keeping with my Japanese naming minus my Hakuouki: The Last Samurai, is now **_**Hakuouki: Shimai**_**, the setting is now in a small fictional town called Whisper Falls, which has now been changed to being near Boston and Salem in Massachusetts, Shiori and Kanon's appearances, ages and names have also been changed, Shiori is now Madeline "Maddie" Yukimura and Kanon is Lillian "Lily" Yukimura due to their mother being American and the story is now third-person, there are also some character additions from Hakuouki: Reimeiroku. Hope you enjoy!**

**Summary: Six months has passed since Chizuru Yukimura moved to Whisper Falls, Massachusetts from her home city of Buffalo with her sisters Madeline and Lillian after the horrific murder of their mother due to their ability to communicate with the dead. But when a young girl and her mother dies, the sisters must cross the girl over, but find it hard as she believes her father had an affair and killed her and her mother to cover it up, meanwhile Detective Hijikata Toshizo becomes suspicious of the sisters and their involvement in the case, but soon finds himself feeling an attraction to Chizuru that she also possesses.**

Girl on Fire Part 1

* * *

The sound of sirens outside her window caused Chizuru Yukimura's eyes to fly open as she sat up quickly; her chestnut brown hair fell down her back as sweat rolled down her face. She pressed her hand to her forehead, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

_That nightmare again…_

Chizuru thought with a sigh as she threw off her covers and stood up; she pulled on a white satin bathrobe over her matching cotton nightdress and pulled back the curtains of her bedroom window to see what was going on, her eyes widened when she saw the fire-trucks and ambulances outside, she let go of the curtains before heading out of her bedroom and down the stairs to the living room where a young girl around sixteen with long dark brown hair and light green eyes dressed in a light blue tee with navy blue plaid bottoms was holding onto a barking German Shepherd.

"Madeline, what are you doing up?" Chizuru asked with a frown; Madeline turned to face her older sister, a small smile on her face.

"Hey Sis, I heard Buddy here barking and I came down to see why...do you know why he's barking?" Madeline asked; Chizuru glanced at their canine companion, who was growling at the door.

"When he gets like that, it usually means there's a spirit…" Chizuru stated as she approached the large window, she drew back the curtains and gasped at what she saw, a girl who was a few years younger than Madeline was staring at her, the girl's eyes and body were lit up as if they were burning, and behind her stood a house burning to the ground.

"Stay here…" Chizuru ordered as she put on her slippers and stepped out the door, she shut the door and began walking towards the girl on fire; as she got closer Chizuru saw the girl had golden hair that was tied in a low ponytail with a green bow and grey eyes, blood was smeared on her cheeks and neck and her left eye was bleeding; her outfit, a white nightgown, was torn and burnt from the fire and her feet were bare and bloody.

"Can you see me?" The girl asked in shock, her voice echoing; Chizuru nodded.

"Yes…what's your name?" The girl shut her eyes tightly, as if trying to remember.

"C…Carol, Carol Anne." The girl said finally as she opened her eyes and looked at Chizuru; Chizuru nodded.

"My name is Chizuru; can you…remember how you died?" Carol Anne's eyes darkened.

"My father…" Chizuru frowned.

"Your father…? What does he have to do with your death? Was he there when you died?" Chizuru questioned, trying to decipher what Carol Anne was saying; a male voice called out to Chizuru, causing the two girls to turn their heads.

"Miss, please get away from the…" Chizuru's eyes widened as she stared at the young man who was staring back at her; he was at least four years older than her with raven hair that reached his shoulders and violet eyes that captivated her, he was clad in a green long-sleeve shirt with brown trousers, a brown belt with a badge clipped on and beige dress shoes; the two stared at each other, not speaking or saying anything until the man coughed.

"Miss, please step away from the fire." He said; Chizuru blinked and turned to look back at Carol Anne, who was trying to tell her something.

"Miss…!" Chizuru turned back to the detective, her eyes widening when he knocked her to the ground, out of the way of flying glass; Chizuru shifted as the detective slowly lifted himself off of her, the two stared into each other's eyes as their breathing became slow and steady, his arms on either side of her head.

"I don't suppose this is common for you?" The detective asked as he got up; Chizuru slowly sat up, the detective held out a hand and pulled her up.

"You mean almost getting blown up and being knocked down by a detective? No, not really, I'm Chizuru Yukimura; I live in the house across the street." She replied as she gestured behind her with her hand.

"I'm Detective Toshizo Hijikata with the Whisper Falls Police Department." The detective said as he held out his hand; Chizuru took it and shook with a smile on her face.

"So what exactly happened here?" She asked; Hijikata sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"The house caught fire an hour ago; house belongs to a family of four, the wife and two daughters are still trapped inside." Chizuru's eyes widened as she looked at Carol Anne, who was staring back at her with fear in her eyes.

"My elder sister Kathleen, she's still alive but she's trapped under a wooden beam on the first floor, please! You need to tell them to save her!" Carol Anne pleaded before disappearing; Chizuru looked back at Hijikata, taking a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was going to say.

"The eldest daughter Kathleen is alive; she's pinned under a wooden beam on the first floor." Hijikata's eyes narrowed.

"How do you…?" Chizuru shook her head.

"Now's not the time for questions, please, just help her." Hijikata gave her a suspicious look but looked over at the firemen.

"The eldest daughter is still trapped on the first floor of the house; she is pinned under a wooden beam!" He yelled; the firemen gave him a look but rushed inside the house anyway, a few minutes later they came out with a girl identical to Carol Anne, only older and with copper-red hair, covered in ash and burns with a blanket over her shoulders; Hijikata's eyes widened as he turned to face Chizuru, only to see her standing on her porch and talking with Madeline, Chizuru glanced once more at him before heading into her house.

"Hey Hijikata, who's that woman you were talking to?" Okita Souji asked as he walked over, he had brick brown hair that reached his neck and green eyes; he wore a green business shirt, black trousers with a matching belt and dress shoes.

"Her name is Chizuru Yukimura and she somehow knew that the eldest daughter was still alive on the first floor." Okita's eyes widened.

"You sure know how to pick them." Hijikata glared at Okita who laughed as he walked away; Hijikata sighed as he rubbed his neck.

_There was something…odd about that woman…but what exactly?_

* * *

"So let me get this straight…last night, you ran into the ghost of a girl who died in a fire and whose father is somehow connected?" Senhime Sato asked in disbelief as she and Kosuzu Takahashi watched their best friend hang up some antique lanterns; Senhime had dark brown hair that was half-up with ruby eyes and was clad in a grey turtleneck sweater with black jeans and brown knee-high boots with heels.

"Leave it to you to find a spirit." Kosuzu joked; she had forest-green hair that was tied in a braided bun, dark amber eyes and wore a Kelly green charter school cardigan over a white blouse with white jeans and black knee-high boots with heels.

"It appears to be that way…I don't get it, I've been here for six months and have seen no ghosts up until now." Chizuru said as she placed some lamps on some tables, her hair was straightened with a fringe covering her forehead and she wore a white turtleneck sweater dress, grey leggings and white heels.

"Maybe it has something to with that hot detective you were talking to." Madeline said as she walked in, her hair was tied in two long pigtails and she wore an Egyptian blue tank top with a white jacket over top, navy blue jeans and dark blue flats. Senhime and Kosuzu turned to Chizuru with wide eyes, Chizuru glared at her sister.

"Madeline!" She hissed.

"Alright missy, spill! Who is this 'hot detective'?" Senhime asked as she crossed her arms across her chest; Chizuru's cheeks turned a pale pink.

"Ok don't get getting any ideas, it wasn't like…what you're thinking, he saved me from some glass that was flying at me." Chizuru replied; Senhime looked at Madeline.

"So how hot are we talking?" She asked; Madeline smirked.

"Tall, raven black hair, dark violet eyes; he was very built from what I saw." Chizuru's cheeks turned redder as Senhime smirked at her while Kosuzu hid a small smile.

"Ok, really? I will admit the detective was…handsome, but it's not like I'm going to see him again." Chizuru said as she picked up a box of antiques that had been dropped off and began placing them on a shelf, the bell on the door jingled and Chizuru looked up to greet the customer, only to freeze when she saw Hijikata walk in with Okita; the box fell out of her hands and hit the ground, the antiques shattering.

"Damn it!" She cursed as she bent down to pick up the glass; Hijikata headed over and knelt down.

"Here, allow me…" He said as he began helping her clean up, their hands brushed and the two retracted them quickly before standing up.

"Well, there are some things in the back that need to be categorized so…we're going to go now." Senhime said as she grabbed Kosuzu's arm and dragged her to the back; Chizuru rolled her eyes as she picked up the box and placed it on a nearby table before beginning sweeping up the glass.

"Sorry for startling you Miss Yukimura." Hijikata apologized; Chizuru shook her head as she smiled at him.

"No it's fine." Madeline coughed.

"Ah, sorry Madeline, Detective Hijikata this is my younger sister Madeline, Madeline this is Detective Toshizo Hijikata." Chizuru explained. Hijikata and Madeline shook hands.

"Please call me Maddie, the only person who calls me by my full name is Chizuru." Madeline said; Hijikata nodded.

"This is my partner Detective Souji Okita." Hijikata said as he gestured to Okita, who grinned as he took Chizuru's hand and kissed it before doing the same to Madeline, causing the two girls to blush.

"Souji…!" Hijikata hissed; Okita laughed.

"Calm down Hijikata, I'm just having a little bit of fun." He teased; Hijikata sighed and opened his mouth to speak when an energetic female voice called out.

"Sister…!" The four turned to see a small girl around eight with short light brown hair and dark green eyes run into the store, she wore a white long-sleeved dress with a pink sweater and white flats; she froze when she saw the strange men and immediately hid behind Chizuru's legs.

"Detectives, this is my youngest sister Lillian Yukimura, Lillian this is Detective Hijikata and Okita." Chizuru said as she smiled gently at her sister.

"It's nice to meet you Lillian." Hijikata said as he bent down to knee-level and gave the small girl a tiny smile; Lillian gave him a shy smile in return.

"Please call me Lily." She said quietly; Hijikata chuckled.

"Very well Lily." Chizuru was visibly shocked at how easily Lily got along with this detective; she was usually very shy around strangers.

"So what brings you to Revival Antiques Detectives?" Madeline questioned.

"I came here to ask your sister how she knew Kathleen Davis was trapped on the first floor." Hijikata replied bluntly; Madeline's eyes widened while Chizuru remained passive, not even flinching as she and Hijikata stared each other down like they did the other night, Chizuru looked at Madeline.

"Madeline, please take Lillian into the back; there are some antiques dolls she can play with." Madeline looked at her older sister in shock.

"But Sis…" She trailed off as she saw Chizuru's dark look.

"Madeline…" Chizuru said in a warning tone; Madeline sighed as she took her little sister's hand and took her into the back; she looked over her shoulder as she gave a warning look at the detectives before disappearing, Okita's phone began ringing and he picked it up.

"Hello, Detective Okita speaking…huh…ok, I'll be right there." He said before hanging up.

"That was Sannen; he's got something on the body that he wants me to see." Okita stated; Hijikata nodded.

"Go, I'll be fine." Okita nodded and left the store; Hijikata looked back at Chizuru, who crossed her arms across her chest.

"Kathleen Davis is a nineteen-year old university student who attends New York University and is currently trying to earn her Law degree, no one, not even her family, was aware she had returned home." Hijikata started as he slowly walked over to Chizuru, he placed his hands on either side of her, trapping her, and leaned on the desk, their faces now only inches apart.

"So tell me Miss Yukimura…how is it you were aware of her being trapped under a beam on the first floor of her home…?" He asked in a low voice; Chizuru raised her head, trying to ignore her racing heart.

"Would you believe me if I said it was intuition?" She asked; Hijikata gave a sharp laugh.

"You're a mystery to me, you know that?" Chizuru smirked.

"Well Detective, I'm not that easy to solve." She stated; the two stood there in silence, their bodies close to touching and their eyes staring at each other before Hijikata pulled away and began walking towards the door; he looked over his shoulder at Chizuru.

"I will be back later…goodbye Miss Yukimura." He said as he exited the store, the bell jingling as the door shut behind him; Chizuru took a deep breath, her hand on her heart in an attempt to calm its rapid speed.

"What was that, just being near that man made my heart race but why…?" She whispered. She pushed herself off the table and began collecting her coat and purse.

"Senhime, Kosuzu! Watch the store for me, I'm going out!" She called as she left; she smiled when she heard two replies of yes and began walking towards her red Toyota Fortuner.

_Perhaps I should speak with Kathleen Davis to see if she knows what her sister meant by saying their father was involved in her and her mother's death…_

* * *

**Um…wow O.O. So, I guess you could say I showed you a more…mysterious and flirty version of Chizuru (she IS an adult in this story after all…)? Please review! **


	2. Girl on Fire Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuouki; it belongs to Idea Factory and Otomate.**

**A/N: Last time, we met Chizuru, her sisters, Senhime and Kosuzu and Okita and Hijikata, we learned about Chizuru's ability to speak to the dead and witnessed some…**_**sexual tension **_**between her and Hijikata. Since Chizuru and Hijikata **_**are**_** adults in this story, there will be a fair bit of sexual tension between them as well as flirting. I hope you enjoy the second chapter of **_**Hakuouki: Shimai**_**!**

Girl on Fire Part 2

* * *

Hijikata sighed as he walked into the police station and ran a hand through his hair; that Chizuru Yukimura was irritating and yet, there was something about her that seemed to draw him to her like a magnetic field.

"Toshi…!" Hijikata smiled when he saw Kondo Isami, the Chief of Department, walking over with a smile on his face; Kondo was four years older than Hijikata and had black hair that was combed neatly and light brown eyes that held warmth to them, he wore a black blazer adorned with various badges over a white business shirt with a black tie, black dress pants and matching dress shoes, he held a black police chief hat under his armpit.

"Kondo it's nice to see you! How's Otsune doing?" Kondo laughed nervously.

"Ah, well…Otsune's been in a bit of a foul mood thanks to the vomiting so I'm trying to avoid making her angry at me." Hijikata smirked; Kondo and his wife of eight years were expecting their first child and though they were happy to be starting a family, Otsune was experiencing the typical symptoms of pregnancy such as mood swings, cravings and vomiting and it made Kondo _very_ careful around her as she was grouchy and easy to anger even before her pregnancy.

"Do we have anything new on the case?" Hijikata asked; Kondo sighed as he glanced through the file in his hand.

"Well, we checked with the electrical company who had done a check on the house recently and according to them they didn't find any faulty wiring, we also spoke to the husband, Patrick Davis, who said his wife was very responsible and wouldn't leave the oven on, especially if their kids were at risk which leaves only one possibility…" Hijikata groaned.

"Murder..." Hijikata and Kondo said at the same time; Kondo gestured to two chairs at Hijikata's desk and the two men sat down.

"Did the husband have an alibi?" Kondo sighed.

"Yeah, he was at his office working late, but…" Kondo hesitated, knowing Hijikata wouldn't like who verified the alibi; Hijikata frowned.

"But what…?" He asked; Kondo sighed.

"The secretary, Miss Violet Green, verified it." Hijikata's fist clenched, realizing what that possibly meant.

"So Mr. Davis was possibly having an affair with Miss Green…" He stated in a low voice; Kondo nodded, everyone who knew Hijikata Toshizo knew that he held a lot of respect towards women, due to him being raised by his elder sister Toku, and he despised violence towards women as well as a man having affair with another woman as both the woman being cheated on and the woman being cheated with were hurt in the process.

"Yes, we have yet to ask Kathleen Davis if she knew of the possible affair as she has not woken up." Kondo said; Okita came over with a file in his hands.

"Souji, what do you have for us?" Kondo asked with a smile, Okita sighed.

"Julia Davis's toxin and autopsy reports from Sannen, according to the reports Julia Davis was given chloroform which knocked her out and rendered her unable to move." Okita said as he threw the file onto the desk; Hijikata picked it up and glanced through it.

"She then died from smoke inhalation…" He mused; Kondo placed his hand under his chin.

"So the killers knocked Julia Davis out with chloroform so she wouldn't be able to call 911 for help…what about Carol Anne Davis?" He asked; a calm voice from behind them made the men turn.

"Unfortunately Miss Carol Anne didn't get such a painless death; she was struck on the head with a metal pole and was stabbed in the eye with some type of sharp object, she apparently attempted to reach the phone before she bled out." A man who was a year older than Kondo said as he walked over; he had shoulder-length bark brown hair that was slicked back, leaving one lock of bangs on the left-hand side of his face and hazel eyes concealed by big round glasses; he wore a white lab coat that was buttoned up and had a name tag with his ID on it clipped onto the right pocket and green pants with brown dress shoes, Kondo, Hijikata and Okita had identical expressions of horror and disgust on their faces.

"Why the hell would someone do that to a thirteen-year old girl?" Okita asked; Sannen sighed as he pushed his glasses up.

"Perhaps whoever killed Mrs. Davis didn't hold as much hatred for her as they did for her daughter? I honestly have no idea." Sannen's frown turned into a smile as he glanced at Hijikata, who was taking a sip of his coffee.

"So Hijikata-kun, I hear you were flirting with a young woman." Hijikata spat out his coffee and began coughing as he turned to glare at Okita, who wore a smirk on his face.

"Souji…!" He hissed; Kondo was wide-eyed in shock and disbelief.

"Toshi…why you didn't tell about this…?" Kondō asked with a hurt tone in his voice. Hijikata sighed in irritation.

"It's not what you—"He was cut off by two male voices.

"Hijikata was flirting with someone?" Hijikata groaned as two men joined them, one was a year younger than Hijikata with short red hair and golden eyes, he wore a white business shirt with a red tie, red dress pants and brown dress shoes while the other was a year older than Chizuru with short brown hair and blue-green eyes, he wore a white business shirt with a blue tie, navy blue pants and beige dress shoes.

"Heisuke and Harada it's not what you think…" Hijikata started. The red-haired man raised an eyebrow.

"Uh huh, do you believe him Heisuke?" Harada asked as he turned to the brown-haired man; Heisuke grinned.

"Hm…no, I don't believe I do." Hijikata glared, causing Harada and Heisuke to gulp.

"So tell us about this mystery woman who has captured Hijikata-kun's heart." Sannen said to Souji, who smirked at the chance to embarrass Hijikata.

"Well, she was a year younger than Heisuke and Ryunosuke, she was very small with brown hair and eyes…to be honest she didn't seem like his type, I always pictured him with a blonde who was busty." Hijikata glared at Souji, though his pink cheeks made him seem less threatening.

"Hey it's Hajime and Ibuki!" Heisuke exclaimed as two more men joined the group; one was a year younger than Harada with short indigo hair and deep ocean blue eyes, he wore a black dress shirt with a white tie, indigo dress pants and black dress shoes while the other was Heisuke's age with short and messy blue hair and golden eyes, he wore a blue dress shirt with a grey tie, grey dress pants and blue dress shoes.

"Ryunosuke, Saito did you hear the good news? Hijikata's finally learned to flirt!" Okita exclaimed in a teasing tone; Saito and Ryunosuke blinked in shock as Hijikata thwacked Okita.

"Ok, back to the matter at hand—"Hijikata was cut off by Okita.

"Hey, did you figure out how Miss Yukimura knew where Kathleen Davis was?" Silence surrounded them as Hijikata tapped his fingers on the desk, how did Chizuru know where the eldest daughter was? Was she somehow connected to the murder…? Or was it something else…?

"No actually…I've been meaning to go back and question her…" Hijikata admitted; Harada sighed.

"Leave it to you to fall for a woman connected to a murder Toshi…" Hijikata glared.

"Now let's not jump to conclusions, we have no evidence that connects Miss Yukimura to the murder, perhaps she was a friend of Kathleen Davis's who knew she was there?" Kondo suggested. Saito frowned.

"No we spoke with Mr. Davis and he stated Kathleen didn't really interact with anyone, plus she hasn't had contact with anyone in Whisper Falls since she left for university." Saito stated; Heisuke scratched his head.

"So then, this Miss Yukimura, who isn't connected to the Davis family at all, knew both that Kathleen Davis was in the house and where she was trapped…?" Heisuke asked; Hijikata sighed.

"It would appear that way…" He stated as he glanced down at the file on his desk, the other men left in different directions as Hijikata tapped his fingers on the desk, his mind wandering back to the woman who had known where the only survivor of the fire was trapped.

_Just what are you hiding Miss Yukimura…?_

* * *

Chizuru glanced around as she walked into St. Hope Hospital, doctors and nurses were rushing from room to room, patients were being moved or were sitting in the waiting room; Chizuru smiled at the patients, some nodded while others smiled back.

"Someone help me!" Chizuru froze when she saw an elderly man talking to a nurse who wasn't paying him any attention, a doctor walked right through him which caused him to look around, confusion in his eyes; his eyes widened when he saw Chizuru looking at him.

"You can see me?" He asked as he suddenly appeared in front of her; Chizuru looked away quickly, pretending not to see him.

"Not now…" She muttered; the elderly man gave her an angry look.

"Listen here lady! I have been trying for _ten years _to get someone to notice me so don't go—"He was cut off by a nurse walking through him, causing him to vanish.

"May I help you Miss?" The nurse asked; Chizuru nodded, regaining her composure.

"Yes I'm looking for the room of Kathleen Davis." The nurse frowned.

"Are you a family member?" Chizuru shook her head.

"No I'm…an old friend of hers and wanted to see if I could cheer her up." The nurse gave her a suspicious look before giving in.

"She's in room 201." Chizuru smiled.

"Thank you." She said as she began walking towards the elevator, she pressed the up button and waited, tapping her foot; the doors opened and she walked into the elevator, she pushed the button with 2 on it and stood as the doors shut and elevator began to move upwards. Chizuru took a deep breath as her thoughts wandered back to the encounter with Detective Hijikata, that man both infuriated and attracted her at the same time and she was not a woman who was easily wooed.

_Why is it that Detective Hijikata could get me so flustered…? _

She asked herself as the doors opened and exited as she began walking down the hall, glancing at the doors while trying to ignore the spirits who attempted to get her attention, it wasn't that she didn't want to help them; it was just that she needed to focus on helping Carol Anne cross over at the moment.

"Ah ha…" Chizuru said in a low voice as she stopped in front of a white door with the number _201_ on it. She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock.

"Hello?" She asked. A voice spoke.

"Come in." Chizuru opened the door, revealing Kathleen Davis in a blue hospital gown lying on a bed as she read. Kathleen looked up and smiled, feeling confused as to who this woman was and why she was visiting her.

"Hello…" She said as Chizuru took a seat next to the bed.

"Hi, sorry for barging in on you like this, I'm Chizuru Yukimura; I own the antique shop Revival Antiques?" Chizuru said with a small smile. Kathleen nodded.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful. So what brings you here?" She questioned. Chizuru opened her mouth to reply when Carol Anne appeared beside her sister; she smiled as she knelt down beside the bed.

"I was always envious of her, she was beautiful, smart and athletic; we always argued…now it seems like such a petty thing…" Carol Anne said with sorrow in her voice as she brushed a strand of hair out of her sister's face causing Kathleen to freeze.

"Carol Anne…?" She whispered. Carol Anne's eyes widened as she looked at Chizuru, nodding her head rapidly. Chizuru took a deep breath.

"Your sister…she's here." Kathleen looked at her, eyes wide.

"That's impossible, my sister and mother are dead." She stated in a cold tone. Chizuru gave her a weak smile, knowing how this was going to go.

"She is…they are, but…I can see her, I can speak to the dead." Kathleen laughed bitterly.

"Ok, this is not funny." Carol Anne spoke, desperation in her voice.

"Tell her to keep writing _Dreamer_, that she should keep practicing her gift." Chizuru looked at Kathleen.

"She says you should keep practicing your gift and continue _Dreamer_." Kathleen gasped.

"That's…she and Mom are the only ones who knew I was working on a song, my father wouldn't approve of me wanting to be a singer and quitting school so my mom, sister and I kept it a secret…our secret…oh my god, Carol?" She whispered as she looked around.

"She's kneeling beside your bed on the right side." Chizuru said. Kathleen turned her head quickly as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh Carol, I'm so sorry…I was supposed to protect you as your big sister and I failed…" She sobbed. Carol Anne hugged her sister tightly.

"It wasn't your fault; it was never your fault." Carol Anne said firmly. Kathleen nodded as Chizuru repeated what Carol Anne said, she wiped her tears as Chizuru held her own tears back.

"I hate to interrupt, but Carol Anne, you said your father was related to your death…what did you mean?" Kathleen stiffened.

"He's related because he's the one who started the fire and killed Carol Anne and Mom." Chizuru froze.

"Why…?" She asked in a low voice. Kathleen laughed bitterly again.

"He tried to kill us because we found out he was cheating on Mom."

* * *

Hijikata and Okita walked through the doors of the hospital where Kathleen was staying; female nurses, doctors and patients stopped and stared at Hijikata who sighed at the typical reaction.

"Geez Hijikata, I can't compete with you can I? I mean, _every time_ you walk into a building, all female eyes are immediately—"Okita stopped mid-sentence as he stared at something over Hijikata's shoulder.

"Hey Hijikata, remember how you've been meaning to question Miss Yukimura again?" Okita asked. Hijikata frowned.

"Yes why…?"

"Looks like you may get your chance right now." Okita replied as he pointed, Hijikata whirled around to see Chizuru exiting the elevator; she was typing something on her IPhone.

"Miss Yukimura…!" He called. Chizuru froze as she looked up; she put her phone away and began walking quickly towards the front doors.

_She's not getting away that easy…!_

Hijikata thought as he moved quickly, in a blink of an eye he had her pressed up against a wall in a side hallway, she struggled against his iron-like grip in order to free herself to no avail as he trapped her in on either side using his arms.

"Don't struggle, it'll just make it worse on you…"He whispered in a husky tone. Chizuru slowly looked up to meet his gaze, her breathing began slow and steady.

"Detective, please release me as I can assure you this does not look good to onlookers…" She stated. Hijikata chuckled.

"You're a tough woman, I'll give you that." He said as he removed his arms from either side of her.

"How did you know Kathleen Davis was still inside the house?" Hijikata asked. Chizuru shook her head.

"I can't tell you that." His purple eyes darkened.

"Miss Yukimura, this arson case is now a murder case and you are a suspect." Chizuru's eyes flashed.

"I can assure you I would never take the life of another person Detective; I only wish to help Kathleen move on." Hijikata ran a hand through his hair.

"Then why can't you tell me how you knew she was still in the house?" Chizuru looked away.

"I can't…tell you because, I don't know whether I can trust you or not." Hijikata was taken aback, trust him with what?

"You don't know if you can trust me…?" Chizuru gave him a sad smile.

"Trusting people too easily has brought pain upon my family before; I won't allow my mistake to be the cause of my sisters' suffering Detective." She replied as Hijikata's face softened, it was obvious Chizuru would do anything to protect her sisters even if it meant causing her pain.

"Please…let me in Chizuru…" Chizuru's eyes widened at the use of her first name, she felt the walls she had built crumble as Hijikata took her hand and squeezed it tightly; she shut her eyes tightly as she removed her hand and began walking away.

_Maybe someday I can let you in Detective Hijikata…but not now, not at this very moment…_

She thought as she looked behind her at the man who was slowly bypassing every defense around her heart and breaking them from the inside before exiting the hospital.

_I swear Chizuru, I will learn your secrets at whatever cost…_

Hijikata thought as he watched the woman with many secrets walk away, a smile tugged at his mouth as he made his way to his partner with a goal in mind: uncover the reason why Chizuru Yukimura closed off her heart.

* * *

**So Hijikata is determined to break down Chizuru's walls while Chizuru is feeling that perhaps Hijikata is one person she would be able to trust with her family's gift and we learn that Mr. Davis is possible responsible for the fire that killed Carol Anne and her mother. I apologize for not updating for four days but I was on a camping trip and therefore had no Wi-Fi (thankfully I brought my laptop with me so I could write though my parents aren't exactly happy about me sitting inside our motorhome but oh well). Please leave reviews as they make me feel like I'm doing something right!**


	3. Girl on Fire Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuouki.**

**A/N: Last time Chizuru discovered that Carol Anne's father was having an affair before she and her mother were killed and Hijikata becomes determined to uncover her and her family's secret, there is lots of romantic and sexual tension in this chapter for Hijikata and Chizuru! I hope you enjoy!**

Girl on Fire Part 3

* * *

"Wait, so Detective Hijikata literally said he was determined to find out our secret? I think he's in love with you Sis!" Chizuru narrowed her eyes at Madeline as she made Lillian's lunch, today her outfit consisted of a long-sleeve white princess lace dress with medium sleeves and white heels with a brown belt around her waist and her hair was curled.

"Madeline…"Chizuru said in a warning tone as Madeline sighed.

"Sis a handsome, decent guy is showing an interest in you; I'm sure Senhime would've jumped him already." Chizuru flushed as she closed Lillian's lunch kit.

"Well, I'm not Senhime and besides, a relationship with a homicide detective would not end well for us considering what we do." Chizuru stated stubbornly; Madeline sighed, though she couldn't deny her older sister had helped a lot of people with her gift and was doing an amazing job raising her and Lillian, she wished her sister would think about _herself _for once instead of other people; she couldn't count how many times her sister had rejected a guy because of her loyalty to the family.

_Maybe Detective Hijikata will be the one who finally wins Sis's heart…_

Madeline thought as the doorbell rang, she walked over to the door and her eyes widened when she opened it to reveal Hijikata standing on their porch, clad in a black denim button-down shirt with long sleeves, blue jeans and brown dress shoes.

"Hey Maddie, is your sister home?" Hijikata asked as he placed his hand on the door frame, his expression telling Madeline that he wasn't going to leave until he talked to Chizuru.

"Yup, let me go get her." Madeline said as she walked away with a smile on her face, she entered the kitchen as her sister looked up.

"Ok, who was at the door and why are you smiling?" Chizuru asked with suspicion in her voice as Madeline smirked at her sister.

"Detective Hijikata's at our door and he won't leave unless he talks to you…!" She sang as she grabbed her shoulder bag and danced out of the kitchen; Chizuru sighed at her sister's antics before heading towards the door, her breath caught when she saw Hijikata leaning on the porch's railing and she stepped out, shutting the door behind her.

"You know, this could count as stalking." She said sarcastically as she walked over to stand beside the homicide detective; Hijikata smirked at her.

"Technically, it's not stalking if I approach you." He replied as he pushed himself off the railing and looked at Chizuru who placed a hand on her hip.

"What is it that you want to talk to me about Detective Hijikata?" She questioned with her eyes wary; Hijikata sighed.

"Patrick Davis has been having an affair with his secretary Violet Green, giving both a motive to kill Julia, Carol Anne and Kathleen Davis however we have no evidence to arrest either of them and when I went to question Patrick Davis, he acted smug and held no remorse for his daughter and wife's murder and was unconcerned about his surviving daughter and it just…" He took a deep breath as Chizuru chuckled.

"Did you come to see me just to vent?" She questioned; Hijikata laughed.

"No I was wondering if Kathleen Davis told you anything of use." Chizuru raised an eyebrow.

"Ever heard of patient confidentiality?" She asked; Hijikata smirked.

"You aren't a doctor or therapist so that doesn't apply to you." He replied; Chizuru rolled her eyes.

"I'm assuming she was questioned by you once I left so I see no reason to question me." She scoffed, turning to head back into the house; Hijikata grabbed her arm and spun her around, pressing her against a pillar.

"If Patrick Davis murdered his wife and daughter, with or without the assistance of Violet Green, and I do not have the evidence to arrest him? He walks away, not paying for the murder of his wife and daughter; you said you wanted to help Kathleen so tell me what she told you and you will help her." Hijikata argued as he and Chizuru stared each other down.

"…You certainly know how to lay the guilt on a woman Detective." Chizuru said as Hijikata loosened his grip on her before crossing his arms, waiting for Chizuru to tell him what information she gathered.

"Kathleen said that the reason she returned was because she heard that her mother was planning on exposing her father's affair after she divorced him and decided to give her support, however when she got there she witnessed her mother arguing with her father's secretary and supposed lover, though her memory is still blurry, and said that the two began fighting and her mother ripped the necklace that Patrick Davis bought Violet Green off her neck and tossed it on the ground." Hijikata placed a hand under his chin as he took on a thoughtful pose.

"So the necklace may have been recovered from the scene, putting Violet Green at the scene when the murder occurred." He replied; Chizuru nodded.

"I'm not sure if that will help you convict her but…" Chizuru trailed off; Hijikata smiled.

"I think you helped a lot Miss Yukimura; I'll go check with evidence, see if they recovered the necklace." He said as he turned to leave when he stopped and turned.

"I don't suppose you've reconsidered about telling me what you're hiding?" He asked with a cheeky grin on his face; Chizuru raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry Detective, but I haven't decided yet if you're trustworthy or not."

"You can't blame a guy for trying." Chizuru laughed as Hijikata smirked; a thought came to him.

"Would you like to have lunch with me Miss Yukimura?" Chizuru blinked.

"Are you asking me on a date Detective?" She asked as she crossed her arms, trying to look intimidating but her pink cheeks made her seem cuter rather than scary.

"No, not a date; more like a lunch between friends, what do you say?" Chizuru smiled softly.

"I think I would like that Detective; come by the shop, say around noon?" Hijikata smirked.

"I'll see you then." He stated as he walked down the steps and to his car; he turned and waved before hopping in and driving off.

"So Sis, you're going on a date with Detective Hottie?" Chizuru groaned as she turned to see Madeline grinning at her; Madeline wore her hair in a high ponytail and wore a pink sweater with navy blue jeans and brown ankle boots.

"It's not a date, it's just lunch between friends." Chizuru corrected; Madeline's eyes widened.

"Wait, so you're saying that…you and Detective Hijikata are friends?" Chizuru frowned as she turned to look up at her sister from where she was typing on her white MacBook Air.

"Yes…why…?" She questioned, her eyes narrowing in suspicion; Madeline smiled weakly as she sat down.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it's just…you…never made an effort to talk with men before…" Chizuru sighed softly as she looked at her sister.

"Well, you can hardly blame me."

"Sis, I know what he-what that man did to us was horrible but, you can't keep hating men for the rest of your life." Madeline whispered; her older sister had never shown any interest in romance because of what _he _had put them through but she wanted her sister to find her happy ever after and if Hijikata was the one, then she wasn't about to let him get away.

_After the hell she's been through, she needs some good in her life…and Detective Hijikata might just be what she needs…._

* * *

"So I hear you have a date with Miss Yukimura." Hijikata groaned as he looked at Harada who was smirking at him.

"First of all, it's not a date; second, how the hell did you find out?" Harada grinned.

"I have my ways." Hijikata sighed, a thought popped into his head and he logged onto the police database; Harada frowned.

"What are you doing?" Hijikata looked at him for a minute before replying.

"Isn't it a bit odd that a twenty-four year old woman is raising her two sisters by herself?" Harada shook his head.

"Hijikata, for all we know their parents were abusive and Miss Yukimura didn't want her sisters harmed; it would explain why she's so distrusting." Hijikata felt a spark of anger at the thought but pushed it back as he typed in something.

"No, Maddie was too outgoing for someone who was abused; it has to be something-ah hah!" He exclaimed as a hit popped up; Harada read over his shoulder.

**Famous Attorney Murdered In Buffalo Home**

_Samantha Yukimura, 47, was found murdered in her home on February 14__th__, 2013 in Buffalo, New York; Miss Yukimura was a well-known attorney who had put away multiple criminals, police have no leads as to who committed this horrible act; her eldest daughter was also there the night of her murder and was reportedly attacked as well but survived, police reported that the daughter has no memory of the night and is currently in the hospital for her injuries. _

Hijikata stopped reading, his heart pounding loudly; Chizuru had witnessed her mother's murder and had been attacked herself, his fists clenched together, angry that someone had taken not just Chizuru's mother, but Madeline and Lillian's who were still so young.

"Well, that does explains her distrust..." Hijikata jumped at Okita's voice, whirling around to see the other members of the "Shinsengumi" as they were called standing behind him.

"When the hell did you get here?" He hissed; Okita smirked.

"About five minutes ago, why did you look up Miss Yukimura?" Hijikata sighed as he ran his hand through his hair as he went back to reading the article.

"I wanted to see exactly what she was hiding—"He stopped in mid-sentence, his eyes widening and heartbeat quickening as he finished reading the rest of the article; silence filled the air until Heisuke spoke.

"At least we know why she hid it…" Hijikata printed off the articles in a rapid fashion, snatching them up as soon as they came out and grabbed his jacket, tugging it on in an angry motion as he placed the articles in a folder.

"Where are you going Hijikata?" Saito demanded; Hijikata looked at him with dark eyes.

"To get some answers." He replied as he walked out of the police headquarters, he wasn't about to let Chizuru continue to lie when he held the truth in his hands.

* * *

"For the last time, I am _not _going on a date with Detective Hijikata…!" Chizuru yelled a bit too loudly, causing some customers to give her a wary glance; she flushed before toning down her voice.

"It is _just _a lunch between friends and nothing more…!" She hissed at Senhime who was smirking; her hair was pulled back into a braid and she was clad in a brown fringe dress with long sleeves and beige sandals with a low heel, since the store wasn't so busy Chizuru had allowed Kosuzu to go spend time with her dying great-aunt in the city, who was diagnosed with ovary cancer, so it was just Senhime and Chizuru plus Lillian, whose school didn't start for another hour.

"Hm, so why do you look so giddy?" Chizuru sputtered.

"I-I am not _giddy_, I mean, it's not like he isn't hard on the eyes-wait, I didn't mean it like that…!" Senhime laughed at her friend's babbling.

"Excuse me miss, but do you have any more of these antique engagement rings?" A middle-aged man asked; Chizuru turned and smiled.

"Yes, I have a few more in the back so if you'll just give me a moment…" She replied as she turned to Senhime, whispering a low "drop it", before turning back to smile at the customer and heading into the storeroom; Senhime rolled her eyes at how easy it was to tease her friend before directing her attention to Lillian, who was staring dreamily out the window; it was hard to see how bubbly Madeline, shy Lillian and serious Chizuru were related since the three were as different as night and rain.

"But then again, Maddie doesn't exactly love her gift so maybe she and Chizuru are similar…" Senhime mused; Madeline could only hear spirits, which irritated her as it was, but had the added curse of feeling their emotions as well, adding a lot of stress onto the poor teen; Lillian's dreams were constantly invaded by visions of what was to come with no way of control and Chizuru, she was often forced to live through a spirit's last memories and, at worst, relive their death, Senhime shivered, she could never fathom how exactly the girls dealt with it but they leaned on each other; she supposed their bond of sisterhood was what allowed them to carry on.

"Miss Sato."

Senhime was pulled out of her thoughts by Hijikata, she turned and immediately narrowed her eyes at his dark mood; his eyes were dark with what appeared to be rage and he clutched a file in his right hand, her eyes flashed with anger as a thought popped into her mind, he had done it after all…

"What may I help you with Detective?" Hijikata blinked at how the upbeat woman's mood turned frosty, he realized that she, and Kosuzu as well, probably knew of the abilities of the Yukimura sisters and realized he had looked up the file.

"May I speak to Miss Yukimura?" Senhime crossed her arms, her eyes burning into his.

"Depends on what you wish to speak to her about…" She trailed off as she stepped closer, glancing over her shoulder to look at Lillian who was still staring off into space; Hijikata sighed.

"Let me make myself clear Detective, if what you say upsets her in any way I will hurt you myself." Senhime warned; Hijikata raised an eyebrow.

"You do realize you're threatening a detective right?" Senhime glared.

"You could be a prince for all I care, Chizuru and her sisters are like family to me and I will do anything to protect them." She explained; Hijikata gave a small smile.

"It's a good thing that they have people who look out for them after what happened to their mother." Senhime's eyes widened, but before she could answer Chizuru stepped out of the backroom.

"Detective, our lunch isn't for another few hours…" She commented in a shocked tone; Hijikata nodded.

"Yes, I came by early to discuss something I found…" Chizuru nodded.

"Ok, just let me get my jacket; Sen can you…?" Senhime smiled warmly.

"I'll watch the shop and drop her off, don't worry." Chizuru smiled back and walked over to Lillian who turned, her hair was softly curled and she wore a white long-sleeve shirt with blue jeans and matching flats.

"Lillian, I'm going to have lunch with Detective Hijikata at the café across the street so Senhime will drop you off at school ok?" Lillian nodded.

"Alright, I love you." Chizuru smiled as she kissed her sister's forehead; Hijikata smiling at the affection Chizuru and Lillian obviously possessed for each other.

"I love you too." Chizuru pulled on a white sweater and the two walked out of the shop and across the street to a trendy café called _Lucy's_; the two sat down and waved down a red-haired waitress named Kate who took their orders.

"So what did you want to talk to me about Detective?" Chizuru asked; Hijikata sighed.

"Your mother's murder and your secret." Chizuru froze, her eyes blinking rapidly; he knew?

"Here's your drinks." Chizuru snapped out of her daze and thanked the waitress who smiled before walking off; she turned to meet Hijikata's gaze with her own.

"You looked me up…" Hijikata nodded as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes." Chizuru sighed.

"So you know that my sisters and I can speak to the dead." Hijikata slid the folder over to her.

"It's what got your mother murdered." Chizuru laughed bitterly.

"It was a high-profile case my mother prosecuted, a young boy around Lillian's age who had been kidnapped, beaten and stabbed in the neck; the killer was the boy's uncle." Hijikata's grip tightened on his cup as Chizuru took a sip of her tea.

"She won, got the man sentenced to life in prison but he had a twin brother who became filled with ragewhen he heard his brother had been sent to prison and vowed to take revenge on those who had done this to his brother…" Chizuru took a deep breath.

"They had found the detective who arrested the brother floating in a river with his, um, _head_ missing five days after the trial; at first it was dismissed as a coincidence but when the judge had been found bludgeoned to death they decided the brother had made good on his threat and tried to take my mother and our family into protective custody but she refused…" Chizuru's eyes were filling with tears as she blinked rapidly; Hijikata spoke in a pained voice.

"You don't have to tell me, I read the file…" Chizuru shook her head as she wiped her eyes.

"I-It's fine…it was a stormy night, Madeline was at a friend's as was Lillian and Mom and I were reading in the living room when we heard glass breaking; she stood and told me to run but before I could ask why three men burst in, two grabbed my mother while the third grabbed me and dragged me out to the kitchen; he kicked, cut and punched me a few times before I grabbed a pot and knocked him out with it, I heard a gunshot and a scream before a loud thud, I ran into the living room to find m…my mother lying in a pool of her blood and the men gone; she had been shot in the head and her throat slit as well as beaten." Chizuru looked at Hijikata who looked like he was going to hit something or someone.

"They never caught who did it, the twin brother had committed suicide before they could interrogate him and I couldn't remember anything, the doctors say I repressed it because of the emotional trauma; I couldn't take the memories so I packed us up and moved here, to Whisper Falls." Hijikata shook his head.

"I'm so sorry, to go through that…" Chizuru smiled weakly.

"I recovered, we Yukimura women are strong." Hijikata laughed softly.

"Why hide your abilities?" Chizuru sighed.

"It's not something people tend to accept, my family's been ridiculed for it and my own father walked out on us because he couldn't take it." Hijikata's eyes blazed.

"It's a gift, the ability to give people back their voice." Chizuru blinked before laughing; Hijikata's cheeks turned pink.

"What, did I say something wrong?" Chizuru shook her head.

"No, it's just you're the first person besides my mother to explain our abilities like that." Hijikata smirked but frowned when his phone rung, he groaned as he answered it.

"Detective Hijikata…" Chizuru frowned when Hijikata's eyes widened.

"Ok, I'll be there soon…yes, I'm with her right now…bye." He hung up and stood up, grabbing his jacket.

"What's going on?" Hijikata looked at her.

"Lilli found a dead body."

* * *

**Dun dun duuunn! Next chapter will be the last one for this case and then I will start the next case; also I got my new laptop so yayy! **


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